But, like many answers to questions, this reply does not satisfy those
who raise the question. I refer exclusively to the doubters among the Jews
themselves, for if Jews were themselves convinced of the justification of
the Jewish separateness, the rest of the world would be convinced. Now,
the Jews who ask this question are those who are not so completely given
over to Judaism, that they are blind to the claims of other religions.
To them the question is one not of absolute, but of comparative
truth. Judaism may still be a power, but it may not be a desirable
power. The further question therefore arises as to the mission of Israel
in history to come as well as in history past. History seems contradicted
by the claim made by Judaism. Jews are quick enough to see the weakness
of the pretension made by certain sects of dogmatic Christianity that
it is the last word of religion, that all saving truth was once for
all revealed some nineteen centuries ago. History, says the Jewish
controversialist, teaches no such lessons of finality. Forces appear,
work their destined course, and then make way for other forces. The world
does not stand still; it moves on. Then how can Judaism claim for itself
a permanence, a finality, which it must deny to every other system,
to every other influence which has in its turn moulded human destiny?
A favourite answer is: Judaism is the exception that proves the rule. It
_has_ been a permanent force in the world's history. It is argued
that Jewish ideals have exercised recurrent influence at all important
crises. Dr. Guttmann somewhat rhetorically makes this identical claim. He
points to the birth of Christianity, the rise of Islam, the mediaeval
Scholasticism, the Italian Renaissance, the German Reformation, the
English and American Puritanism, the modern humanitarian movement, as
exemplifications of the continued power of Judaism to mould the minds
and souls of men. There is a sense in which this claim is just. It
is a valuable support to the Jew's allegiance to Judaism. But even if
Dr. Guttmann's claim were granted, and it is considerably exaggerated,
how does it help? We are all agreed as to the debt which the world owes
to Greece. That debt is a great one. Is it obsolete? Surely not. Greece
has again and again revived its ancient power to inspire men. The
world would be a poor one to-day without all that Greek culture stands
for. Greece did not give men enough to live by; Hebraism did that. But
Greece made life more worth living. Hellenism is an ever-recurrent
force in human civilisation. Yet no one argues that because Hellenism
is still necessary, Hellenes are also necessary. Who contends that for
carrying on Greek culture you need Greeks? On the contrary, it was the
case of Greece that gave rise to the profound observation that just as
a man must die to live, so peoples must die that men may live through
them. Renan, who, among the moderns, gave fullest value to this truth,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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